John Frederick Black, a 46-year-old police detective from Houston, Texas, has been charged with one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to minors. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court documents, the charges stem from an undercover operation in Tallahassee conducted by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office in January 2026. The operation targeted adults using the Internet to sexually exploit children. Authorities allege that Black contacted an undercover officer who he believed was a 13-year-old girl and engaged in sexually explicit conversations. He is also accused of sending obscene photographs and videos of himself. Investigators determined that Black lived in Texas and worked as a police detective.
If convicted, Black could face up to ten years in prison.
The investigation involved both the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen is prosecuting the case with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse,” according to information provided by federal authorities. “Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.”
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is among 94 offices serving as principal litigators under direction from the Attorney General. Additional information about public court documents can be found on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. More details about this office are available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
